How it works
The lists below describe every formation and route in one line. When two receivers standing side by side draw the same route, tap that part under the play and change it.
Read the full guide
Why every play here is a pass
Inside the last five yards before the goal line, the international 5-on-5 rules allow only a pass play, so every play here is a pass. The quarterback has seven seconds to throw or hand off. Leagues differ, so check your own rule book.
One deep route makes room for a short one
A go route draws defenders deep and leaves space underneath for a shorter route. Two receivers on the same route is a real call from opposite sides, such as two drags that cross.
- Give the letters X, Y and Z to three players and keep them all season.
- Tap Formation under the play and lock it: all 20 plays on the printed sheet then line up the same way.
- Call it the way the 11-player game does, letter first and route second: X slant, Y corner, Z out.
Questions and answers
Does the flag football play generator draw the play?
No. It writes the play in words, the way a coach reads it out: the formation, then who runs which route. To see it drawn, sketch it on a whiteboard from the route descriptions under the tool.
Can the center catch a pass in flag football?
Under the international 5-on-5 rules, yes. Every offensive player is a snapper, a runner or a receiver, so the center may go out for a pass after the snap, but may not take a forward handoff. Some leagues differ.
Can the quarterback run in 5-on-5 flag football?
Not past the line of scrimmage under the international rules, unless another player has had the ball and given it back. It is one of the rules that changes most from league to league.
What do X, Y and Z mean in a football play?
They are letters for receivers. In 11-player play calling, X is the split end, a wide receiver on the line of scrimmage, Z is the flanker, a yard off it, and Y is the third receiver, in the slot or at tight end.
How many players are on the field in flag football?
Five a side in the 5-on-5 game this page writes for; versions with four to nine a side are played too. Most leagues carry ten players on a team, five for offense and five for defense.